


Mother

by Fleppy85



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:20:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24999721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fleppy85/pseuds/Fleppy85
Summary: Sara meets Sofia two years after the detective had left LVPD. Plays at the beginning of season 10 with my my idea why Sofia left and what happened to her.
Kudos: 1





	Mother

Part 1

“Sofia?!” Sara was speechless. This was her witness? Sofia?   
Review. Being back in Las Vegas had the good thing Sara knew most of her colleagues, knew how they worked and knew where to go to get her paper work done. On the other side it meant, finding a new place and it wasn’t that easy to find a place she liked. Her old apartment had been perfect and all the others, she had seen now, weren’t. At least she had a new contract, Ecklie had changed her five weeks to two years, which was a huge surprise. He of all people, who wanted to fire her more than ones, he had called her to get her advice and he had given her a new and longer contract. She wasn’t sure if there wasn’t something he hadn’t told her of yet, that would be a bad surprise for her.   
But she had to forget these little private problems when she and Greg came to their new crime scene. A woman had been shot on the street. When Sara and Greg arrived the police had secured the scene and the two investigators could start their work. It was a few hours later, in the early morning, when Sara left the lab to go to a private house, where a witness was waiting for her.   
An address she had never been to, a name that sounded familiar, but some names did because it wasn’t anything special to meet somebody with the same surname like somebody you had worked with before. At least not if it wasn’t a very special surname. She saw the name Curtis, hadn’t really wasted a thought of the former detective and was very surprised when the door was open and she saw a familiar face.   
“Sara?” It seemed like the detective was as surprised as Sara was.   
“You are my witness?”  
“If you’re here because of the shooting of the woman, yes.”  
“Why aren’t you at the scene?” Or at the department, like a witness should be.   
“I asked…. well, come in.” Sofia stepped aside to let Sara in the apartment, obviously not feeling comfortable by doing so. She led Sara in a room that was living room and kitchen in one.   
“Have a seat. Want a coffee or so?”  
“If you have, yes. Thanks.” Sara observed Sofia walking to the kitchenette. When was the last time she had been the detective? Must be over two years ago. She knew Sofia had been there when they had found Sara under the car in the desert, the detective had been once in hospital to see how she was and after that Sofia had vanished. No more shared cases, no more meetings in the department or the lab.   
She hadn’t change much. Still slender, still a hint of smug, still intelligent ice blue eyes.   
“Milk and sugar?”  
“No thanks.” Sara had to concentrate on the case, the reason she was here.   
Sofia came with two mugs. Sara saw the size of the mug as a positive sign. If Sofia really wanted her to out as soon as possible, she would not have asked Sara for a coffee and she hadn’t given her a mug but a small cup.   
“How are you? I haven’t seen you – well I can’t say in a while because I wasn’t here – but I haven’t seen you after…my accident.”  
“I left Vegas PD because I got a new job in Boulder.”  
“You weren’t happy here?”  
“I needed a quiet place, a place I could go to work without stepping over a dozen bodies a week. I was sick of all these violence. I heard you left not so long after me.”  
“Yeah, same reason. I needed to go away, needed some air. I went to South America.”  
“Grissom?”  
“Came there too. Later.”  
“And now you’re back.”  
“I am back, yes.”  
“Did you and Grissom marry?”  
“Yes, we really got married.”  
“Where is he? Back in the lab? Or could you make a houseman out of him?”  
“No.” Sara had laugh for that thought. Grissom at home, doing the dishes, cleaning, ironing. Quite a picture. “He’s in Paris, teaching.”  
“Paris? That’s a distance.”  
“There are flights to Paris, almost daily.” Sara didn’t like to talk about her and Grissom too much. Being married and living on different continents wasn’t exactly what she wanted. But he had this job and loved it while in Paris she had been bored to death. She had no idea where they were standing, she with her new contract, him still teaching in France.   
“Anyway, the case…”  
“Mommy? I’m thirsty.”   
Sara turned and stared at a little boy. She wasn’t good in guessing ages, but she put him somewhere between one and two.  
“Excuse me.” Sofia rose, walked to the boy, took him on her arms and walked to the kitchenette with him.  
“Do you want some water or milk?”  
“Water.”  
“Okay.” She filled a plastic glass and gave it to him. With little sips the boy drank half of the water.  
“Thank you, mom.”  
“You’re welcome, Honey. I bring you back to bed, all right?”  
“Mommy’s bed?”  
“Only if you sleep until eight. You have to sleep very long if you want to sleep in mommy’s bed.”  
“Okay.” He smiled and hugged her. Sofia kissed his cheek and carried him out of the room.   
Sara was speechless again. Mommy? Sofia had a son? She didn’t know that. Did that mean Sofia was married? To whom? If the child was one year old, it was likely that she had been together with his father at the time she was in Las Vegas. As far as Sara knew there hadn’t been anybody in Sofia’s life.   
A minute later Sofia was back.  
“I’m sorry for that.”  
“No need to be sorry. I didn’t know you’ve got a son.” It wasn’t Sara’s business but something in her wanted to know more.   
“Ricky is one and a half. Another reason why I left Las Vegas. I needed a job that gave me the chance to be here at night. Since a few months he’s in daycare, so I can go working.”  
“Isn’t it a big effort to drive to Boulder every day?”  
“It is, but there wasn’t a spot for me in Vegas. I talked to Jim, he’s trying to get me into dayshift even if he’d prefer to have me back on nights.”  
“What’s about his father? Can’t he take care of him?”  
“No.” Sofia’s answer made it clear there was no need to discuss and no point in going further. Fair enough, that was her private business. “Let’s get started with your questions, you want to go home and I’m tired.”  
“You saw the shooting?”  
“A saw the woman falling, I saw a car speeding away, I didn’t see anybody shoot her.”  
“A black BMW?”  
“Yes. I checked on the Internet, it was a 2006 BMW, the 3series, black. I didn’t see anything of the license plate. As I told the officers, I’m not really a help in this case.”  
“Did anybody say anything? Was somebody around?”  
“No. There was this woman, the car and me.”  
“What were you doing there?”  
“Am I a suspect?”  
“Sofia, please.” Sara shook her head. The blonde should know better.   
“I’m sorry, the lack of sleep. I had a long day, came back around midnight. Ricky was with me, sometimes I can smuggle him in, when I’m on paper work. We ran out of milk, I left him in the car, walked to the supermarket and on the way back there was this shooting. Or this one shot. I called 911, tried to help her, but she was dead, waited until the officer were on scene and went to Ricky. The first officer on scene saw how tired my little boy was, how tired I was and allowed us, after a short interview, to go home. I knew CSI or a detective would come along, I didn’t think it would be you.”  
“I didn’t think it’s you when I saw the name Curtis, so we’re even with surprises.”  
“Yeah.” Sofia paused for a little while. “Do you have anything to get her killer?”  
A question Sara wasn’t supposed to answer. Sofia was a witness, not a detective involved in the cast. Well, she was a detective, but not with the LVPD anymore.  
“No.”  
“Do you know who she is? Was?”  
“She was a single mother from the south part of the city.”  
“How old is the child?”  
“I don’t know. I wasn’t there.”  
“Poor thing.” Sofia’s eyes went sad.   
“Mom?” Ricky was back in the room.   
“Hey, I told you to sleep.”  
“Mommy too.”  
“I’m with you in a few minutes, Honey. Go and sleep. You have to be fit.” Ricky walked to his mother, crawled on her lap and snuggled into her arms.  
“I can leave you alone now.” Sara said. “There’s no reason to keep you awake any longer. I’ve your statement, you know the drill, I don’t need to tell you to contact us if you remember anything else.” Sara rose.   
“Thanks. This night confused him.” Sofia kissed Ricky’s hair.   
“Go with him, he needs his mother.” Sara walked to the door. Before she left she turned. “It was nice meeting you again, Sofia.”  
“Likewise, Sara.”  
“If you want, come along for coffee, I’m sure there are a few more people who would love to see you again.”  
“I’ll think about it. Thanks.”  
“You’re welcome. Good night. Good night Ricky, and take good care of your mother.” Sara smiled at the little boy who was half asleep in his mother’s arms. 

A few days later Sara was in front of Sofia’s door again. This time she wasn’t on duty, it was evening and she had to go to work later.  
“Hey.” Sofia’s face wasn’t that surprised when she saw Sara even when Sara appeared without an appointment.   
“Hi”  
“Come in.” She led Sara back to the same room.   
“Coffee?”  
“No, thanks. I’m only here to tell you we closed the case. I thought you might want to know that.”  
“Yes. Thanks.”  
“It was the father of her daughter. He didn’t want to pay her any money anymore.”  
Sofia sighed and shook her head in disbelieve.   
“The daughter?”  
“Child care took her, she’ll go into foster care.” And Sara knew how awful that was for a child.   
“I hope the DA and the judge get him the needle.”  
“We’ll try to make that happen, the evidence is against him.”  
“Good. He killed two people with his shot.”  
“I know. Where’s Ricky?”  
“Sleeping. Thanks God he’s over his experience of Tuesday night and sleeps tight. There’re usually no problems with him and sleeping.” Sofia smiled. It was obvious she liked talking about her son.   
“I didn’t know you were pregnant.” Sara had thought if she should go there, speak about Ricky because it seemed like Sofia wasn’t in the mood to talk about her pregnancy or the Ricky’s father. Which was still a mystery to Sara. She had thought about Sofia a few times in the last couple of days, she couldn’t come up with a man the blonde was with two years ago.   
“I didn’t make a big thing out of it.”  
“Am I allowed to ask who the father is?”  
“You are but I won’t tell you.” Sofia smiled but it was a sad smile.  
“Fair enough.”  
“Ricky’s fine, no need to worry. We cope.”  
“Of course he is with this mother.” Sara rose. “I’ll let you go to bed now too. I guess you’re tired too. As I said all I wanted was to tell you we have the killer.”  
“Thanks.” Sofia brought Sara to the door.   
“Well, I might see you around. If Brass gets you back to LVPD.”  
“Maybe.” Sofia answered.   
Sara was almost down the first couple of stairs when Sofia called behind her.   
“Sara?”  
“Yeah?”  
“If you want, you can come along when you’ve got a night off. Maybe we can talk a little bit. Only if you like.”  
An offer she hadn’t thought of getting. They had never been friends. Did she want to take this offer? Did she want to spent an evening with Sofia?   
“Sure. Uhm, I’ll work the next few nights, we’re short. What about Tuesday? That way I can distract you a little bit of the last Tuesday night.”  
“Sounds good. We’ll be here. Seven o’clock? We can order some dinner.”  
“Sounds perfect to me. If anything comes up, you know how to reach me. Otherwise I’ll see you then.”  
“See you.”  
Sofia had invited her over for dinner. It felt a little bit strange when Sara took the offer but could she refuse it? No. They hadn’t seen each other in two years, they had worked together perfectly the two years before that and the rough start wasn’t a reason not to meet the blonde. 

“I wasn’t sure if you really come.” Sofia opened the door with a smile.  
“Why shouldn’t I? If there had been anything coming up out of the blue that I had to handle, I’d have called.” Sara held a bottle of red wine in her hands. “Didn’t you like this one?”  
“You remembered?”  
“Sure.”  
They walked into the living room. Ricky was sitting on a thick blanket.   
“Hey Ricky, look who’s there.”  
“Sara.” The boy looked at Sara with big blue eyes. He had the eyes definitely from his mother.   
“You know my name, little man?”  
“Ya.” He held a teddy bear up so that she could see it better. “Teddy.”  
“A nice teddy.”  
“Sit down. I haven’t ordered anything yet because I didn’t know what you want. You’re still a vegetarian?”  
“Yes.”  
“Okay. Thai?”  
“Thai is always good. Do you like Thai food, Ricky?”  
“Ya.”  
“Ricky has his own food he’ll get now and then I’ll get him into his bed. You are tired, aren’t you, baby?”  
“Mommy tired.”  
“Oh, you’re trying to get me into your bed? I hope we’ll get that out of you, young man. I don’t want a womanizer in my house. If you dare to bring every night another girl home when you’re a teenager, we’ll have a lot of trouble, believe me.”   
“Mommy love.”  
“That won’t help you then. Ricky.” Sofia bent down, got Ricky in her arms, kissed him and pulled him close to her. “I make your dinner now. Are you hungry?”  
“Ya.”  
“Good.” She put him back on the blanket. Ricky grabbed her trouser leg and held on to it.   
“Arm.” He whined.  
“Mommy has to make your dinner, I can’t have you on my arms.”  
“Arm.”  
“Not now, Ricky.” Sofia freed her trousers and walked to the kitchenette.  
“Hey Ricky?” Sara sat next to the boy, who had already tears in his eyes. “Why don’t you play with me? Can you show me your toys, please? Do you have cars?”  
“Ya.” Ricky sniffed and got a red toy car out of a box next to him. “Fast car.”   
“Really? Can you show me?”  
“Ya.” The more Sara asked him for his toys and asked what the toys can do, the less Ricky thought about Sofia and was completely focused on Sara.   
“Now look at you two, lying on the floor and playing.” Sofia had to laugh. Sara had stretched out long on the blanket and on the floor, next to Ricky who showed her all his toys over and over again.   
“Yes, we’re making some space for dinner.”   
“In that case I hope Ricky will eat this toast.”  
“No.” The boy refused when Sofia held a piece of toast in front of his mouth.   
“Ricky, don’t you know this toast came here on a truck like yours? The big brother of your truck brought that toast here for you, if you don’t eat it, your truck will be sad.”  
“Sara too.” He took a piece of toast that Sofia had cut up into little pieces and held it in front of Sara’s mouth.   
“Okay, I eat one. But because I’m bigger than you, you need to eat two because you’ve to grown.”  
Ricky wanted to protest first but when Sara ate her piece of toast he ate his one too and didn’t complain when Sofia gave him the next one.   
“See, that’s good. Your mommy made it for you and the truck brought it for you. Have another piece.”  
“Sara too.”   
“I eat one, you two.” Sara looked at Sofia who nodded with a smile.   
“I’ll make another one.” She was happy when her son ate without problems, making another toast wasn’t a big deal.   
It took Sara a quarter of an hour to make him eat his two toasts. Every time he wanted her to eat a piece he had to eat two. On the other hand he made no problems drinking his glass of milk.   
“All right, I think it’s time for Ricky to go to bed.”  
“Sara too.”  
Sara and Sofia started laughing.   
“He starts asking girls in his bed already, oh Lord, I’ll need a lot of power for this boy. No Ricky, Sara won’t come with you, she’ll stay here with mommy. We’ll be both here, you can sleep.”  
“Wanna be Sara.”  
“Ricky, you…” The doorbell rang.  
“I’ll get the food, you handle your son.” Sara smirked. She liked Ricky, he was cute and it was obvious that he liked her too. When she came back with her and Sofia’s food they were both gone and Sara heard them from where she assumed was the bathroom. Putting the food in the oven and turned it on low, she started to put all the toys back in the box.   
“You don’t have to tidy up behind Ricky, he’s supposed to do that himself; one day.”  
“That’s al right. How is he?”  
“Asking for you. He’s absolutely tired but he wants to be with you.”  
“Can’t he sleep on the sofa? That way he’s around us and should be fine.”  
“I can try that. As soon as he’s asleep I’ll bring him in his bed. The food…”  
“Is in the oven, don’t worry.”  
“I’m sorry for the mess.”  
“Don’t worry. Ricky had dinner, we’ll have our soon, get him on the sofa so he’ll sleep and you can relax.”  
“Yeah.” Sofia smiled agonized. Five minutes later she had Ricky and his blanket on her arm, placed both on the sofa.   
“So, now you’re with us and can sleep, can’t you?”  
“Sara?”  
“I’m here.”  
“Sara.” He opened his arms.  
“Ricky, we want to eat.” His mother protested.   
“I can sit on the sofa with him if it’s alright for you.”  
“You’re supposed to sit casual.”  
“A sofa is the best place to sit. More comfy than a chair.”  
“Okay.”   
“I’m coming to you, Ricky.” Sara sat next to Ricky and the boy crawled into her arms.   
“Ricky, no!” Sofia stopped him. “Sara needs to eat. You lie down, put your head on her lap but she needs her arms. No discussion, young man!” Her firm voice let Ricky go down from Sara and made him lie next to Sara, his head on her leg.  
“See, this is better. I can eat and you can close your eyes and sleep, Ricky.” Sara stroked his hair. Black curls. They weren’t from his mother nor was the chocolate milk colored skin.   
“Ya.” And the boy really closed his eyes.   
“That’s a good boy.”   
“He’s tiring.” Sofia shook her head again. “I’ll bring our food.”  
Sofia placed the food on the table and pushed the table closer to Sara and the sofa.   
“Give him five minutes and I can bring him away.”  
“I don’t mind him here.”  
“He likes you. I haven’t seen him reacting like that.”  
“He’s cute. You did a good job.”  
“Well, it’s not my credit that he’s cute, I can only take the credit for manner; so I won’t get a lot of credit.”  
“He’s well mannered. For his little crush on me you can’t blame him. I was interested in his toys, I think you get all boys this way.”  
“Yeah. Boys will be boys.”  
“Taking about boys: Nick and Greg want to see you. They insist you’re coming to the lab for coffee.”  
“I think I can do that. On my day off, but I have to bring Ricky, the day care isn’t opened when you finish your shift.”  
“I’m sure they can handle him.”  
“The question is, can I handle him? He’ll be all over you again.”  
“That’s all right, I can play with him while you talk to the guys.”  
“You seem to be crazy for my boy. Why don’t you have one of your own?”  
A good question. So far she had been sure she wasn’t good with children. She had no idea what they needed, how they react, what they wanted. She didn’t have a childhood where somebody had cared about what she wanted, how was she supposed to do so for a child?   
“I like my job too much.”  
“You can go on working after a little break. Grissom can take care of your child, he’s at home when you’re working, isn’t he?”  
“He’s in France, he wouldn’t be here.” And that was a topic Sara didn’t want to talk about.   
“Oh.” Sofia thought Grissom’s teaching job was something for a term, that he would be back in Vegas with his wife soon.   
“He likes his job, I was bored so I came back.”  
“And you don’t want to talk about it.” Sofia wasn’t blaming Sara for it, there was nothing that sounded like that in her voice.  
“No, to be honest, I don’t. Not now.”  
“That’s all right, we don’t have to talk about negative things. We have them enough around us in our jobs”  
“Did Brass find anything for you?”  
“No, so it’s also not a topic for our positive conversation.” Sofia smiled. 

“Did you talk to Sofia?”   
“No Greg.” It had been over one week that Sara was at Sofia’s place and the detective hadn’t contacted her or anybody else for breakfast. Sara assumed Sofia was busy with Ricky, but didn’t want to mention that. She hadn’t told anybody of Sofia’s son.   
“I want to see her.” The young CSI doodled on a piece of paper. They were waiting for Catherine with the new cases.   
“She’ll call.”  
“We do have her number from the case, don’t we?”  
“I think so.”  
“I might give her a call in the morning.”  
“Greg, I think you can save that.” Nick said.   
“Why?”  
“Look” Nick pointed to the door, Greg couldn’t see because it was in his back. There was Sofia. With her were Ecklie and Catherine.  
“Good evening.” Ecklie, slightly slimy as usual, started to talk. “I want to introduce you to the newest member of the night shift. New old member. I think beside Ray everybody knows Sofia well enough.”  
Sara had to force herself to close her mouth. Sofia was the new team member? How…why? Okay, they needed somebody, she was her own replacement, Ray was there for Grissom, there was nobody in the team for Warrick, so it made sense to get somebody new. Or in this case, somebody old.   
Sara waited until everybody had said hello to Sofia.   
“Detective Curtis, it will be strange to call you investigator Curtis.”  
“You can call me Sofia, Sara.”  
“Oh, thanks.” Sara smiled.   
“Sofia, Nick, I’ve a 419 for you, Greg, a B & E, Sara and me have two db at a petrol station out of the city. Good luck for all of you.” Cath gave the cases away.   
“Did you know Sofia wanted to work in the lab again?” Cath asked when they were on their way to their crime scene.  
“No, I had no idea.”  
“Didn’t you meet her a few days ago?”  
“Yes, she didn’t say anything about that. Didn’t you get an application?”  
“No, Ecklie told me an hour ago he’s a new member for the team, the perfect one because we don’t have to worry about getting to know each other. I was really surprised when he showed up with Sofia. Although, she hasn’t change a bit.”  
“No, not really.” Not the way she looked, but the rest was different. At least Sofia’s private life had changed.   
“Where had she been all the time?”  
“Boulder City.”  
“Again? She jumps between the cities. Like between the jobs. I wonder if the Sheriff pulled her papers again.”  
“I don’t think so. She had her job in Boulder, if she didn’t want to work with us, she could have stayed there.”  
“Hm. First a witness now a colleague. Strange world.”  
“At least Greg gets his breakfast now. And for free. New girl pays.”  
“New old one. I look forward to find out something new. Don’t you?”  
“She’ll tell us all we have to know.”  
“Of course you’re not interested. You’re never.”  
Sara made the decision not to comment on that one. Like she had preferred not to tell anybody about her and Grissom’s problems. They’d come to this conclusion early enough. 

“What do you think of coffee?” Sofia asked when she and Sara walked to their cars.  
“Didn’t you tell the boys you’re not in the mood for coffee?”  
“I am not in the mood for a whole team meeting with me as the mean topic. I need to get Ricky…”  
“And you don’t want to explain him to them.” Too many explanations for one day. Sara could understand Sofia.   
“No.” Sofia stopped for a second. “Thanks for not telling them anything.”  
“You’re welcome. It’s your private life, you’ve to make the decision whom you want to tell and when.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Where is he?”  
“Waiting. Want to come with me?”  
“Do you want me to be there?”  
“If I wouldn’t, I hadn’t asked. Pretty easy. Follow me.” Sofia smiled and got in her car. Sara followed her and was surprised when Sofia drove back home. Did she leave Ricky home alone? No, that was impossible, he was too small. And Sofia said, they had to pick him up. So what were they doing here?   
“Didn’t you say you want to get Ricky?” Sara asked when they were standing in front of the house.   
“I do. He’s in here.”  
“You didn’t leave him home alone, did you?” Sara was aghast.   
“No! Of course not. Have a little bit more faith in me, I love my son.”  
They walked three levels up until Sofia stopped in front of a door, that wasn’t the one to her apartment. After her knock an elderly woman opened the door.   
“Good morning Mrs. Harried.”  
“Sofia, you’re here to get the little sunshine. He’s still sleeping.”  
“That’s perfect. I take him. That’s Sara Sidle, we’re working together.”  
“Good morning.” Sara smiled at the woman. She guessed her in the late sixties, the typical TV grandmother with gray curls and a sweet-tempered face.   
“Give me Ricky.” Sara took the boy out of Sofia’s arms, so that she could carry the bag with his stuff.   
“Thanks. And thank you very much, Mrs. Harried.”  
“You’re welcome, Sofia. I look forward to see Ricky tonight again.”  
“I hope he’ll be a good boy.” Sofia closed the door. “Are you really all right carrying him up? We have to walk two more levels.”  
“I think I can handle that.” Sara stroke Ricky’s back.   
“Sara.” He mumbled only loud enough for her to hear. She smiled and kissed his hair. She was already totally in love with this boy. His dark curls tickled her face and she stroked them carefully away.   
“Where shall I put him”? Actually Sara wanted to hold him a little bit longer. Was that a kind of maternal feelings?   
“The second door on the left is his room. He can sleep a little bit in his bed, I think, in one hour he’ll be awake.”  
“When mommy wants to go to bed.”  
“First the day care and then I can have some sleep.”  
“Isn’t it too expensive to have daycare and somebody who takes care of him in the night?”  
“Mrs. Harried takes almost nothing, buying the fuel to go to Boulder is the same.”  
“You never considered moving?”  
“No. I like Vegas, I want to be here. There are some memories. The new job isn’t the best catch, I’d have preferred dayshift, but Ecklie said he needed somebody on night. And I didn’t tell him about Ricky.”  
“Not?”  
“No. Not his business.”  
“Your CV…”  
“He took me without a proper application. I came along, asked, he took me. If he spares a minute to read my file he’ll find out. Until then I won’t tell him like I don’t want the whole lab to know.”  
“You’ve got a really cute kid, there’s no reason to hide him. I’m already in love with him.”  
“He is a womanizer, yes.”  
“I think he got that in a way of you.”  
“Huh? I’m a womanizer? That’s new.” Sofia looked surprised and Sara started laughing.   
“No.” She closed the door so that it was quiet in Ricky’s room. “You turn the heads of the guys.”  
“They turn their head away as soon as they see Ricky. A baby isn’t sexy.”  
“Means usually the woman is taken, don’t blame them too much.” Sara was sure Sofia still didn’t want to talk about Ricky’s father.   
“I don’t. What would you like to have with your bagels?”  
“What do you have?”  
“Peanut butter. Jam. Honey.”  
“Honey sounds good.”  
“You know when Ricky comes in and you’re still here, he’ll force you to eat again.”  
“I don’t mind sharing a toast with him if that makes him eat.”  
“Stubborn boy.”  
“Like his mom?”  
“You’re not very polite for a guest.”  
“I’m sorry.” Sara grinned and took the coffee Sofia had offered her.   
“You’re not. I shouldn’t let you come too close to my son, you’re a bad influence.”  
“I make him eat.”  
“You do.”  
“And he likes me.”  
“He does. He asked for you a few times. If I’d work day I could leave him with you, I think when he’d see you sleeping, he’d take his teddy, snuggle up to you and sleep too.”  
“A really smart boy.”  
“You don’t hear him when he asks for you.”  
“Well, the easiest way to make him shut up is, you pack him in your car and come along. Or give me a call and I come along. And if you need a babysitter because you want to go out and I have the night off, you can leave Ricky to me. I’d love to take care of him.”  
“See, I told you, he’s a womanizer.”  
“He is.” Sara laughed.   
“Thanks for the offer but when you have a night off, you’re supposed to have it really off and not to baby-sit here.”  
“I’m sure Ricky and I would have a really nice evening, both sleeping on the sofa while we watch a cartoon.”  
“And I’ve to carry both of you to bed? No thanks.”  
“The offer is there, take it whenever you feel like it.” Sara bit in her bagel. She had never baby-sit before but she had never been that close to a baby. She had no siblings, her foster siblings were all older and she had never worked as a babysitter in high school or college. None of her few friends had had a baby, Ricky was the first one she had on her arm, that wasn’t involved in a case of her. And she liked the little boy like he liked her.   
“If I ever feel like going out I’ll let you know. Right now I’m fine spending that little bit of spare time with my son. I love watching him explore the world, love to listen to new words he learns every day and see how he walks day by day a little bit more faster and safer. Next year he might be able to start to ride a bike, this little ones with the two extra wheels. I can take him to the ocean, I’m sure he’ll love the ocean. He’s crazy for water, every puddle, he sees, he has to jump in. He can build sand castles and have a huge ice cream on the beach before he falls asleep in the sunset.” Sofia sighed. There were so many things she wanted to do with Ricky as soon as he was a little bit older and they had some time.   
“You’re totally in love with him.” Sara observed.   
“Yes.”  
“So why did you say yes to a job at night time? You’re not with him anymore when he’s sleeping.”  
“No, I’m not and as I said, I wanted to have a job on day shift.”  
“You could have waited for a free spot and keep your old job.”  
“I thought of that. The problem is, as a detective you live a little bit more dangerous than as an investigator and when two weeks ago my colleague got shot, I couldn’t ignore that anymore. I am all Ricky has, I have to do what is the best for him. If his mother is safer working as a CSI I’ve to change jobs, no matter if I’d prefer to be a detective. He needs me, I can’t risk getting shot and he’s alone. I don’t want him to end up like the little girl whose mother got shot. I’ll try to change to dayshift as soon as possible but for now it’s better to work nights and be safe than days and being in the line of fire.”  
“What did your mother say?” Captain Curtis wasn’t happy when Sofia had been a CSI once, Sara couldn’t imagine she was it now.   
“She’d like to see me as a lieutenant, working on a desk if I don’t want to be out, but I prefer to be a CSI and work in the field than sitting the whole time in an office. I’m not an office person.”  
“I’m sure she loves Ricky too.”  
“Yes.” Sofia sighed. “She wasn’t happy when I got pregnant, but she fell in love with Ricky as soon as she saw him. Her first grandchild.”  
“He has your eyes. It’s amazing, this darker skin, the black curls and these ice blue eyes. I never saw a combination like that before.”  
“According to my mom he’s like me, a very nice baby. That means he’ll give me a lot of trouble later as a teenager. I’d finally know what she had to live through with me when he’s older.” Sofia grinned.   
“I’m sure you can raise him to a trouble free child.”  
“Not if comes after me.”  
“Maybe he’ll come after his father.”  
Sofia smirked. “Won’t help I think.”   
“You still don’t want to talk about him?”  
“No. Sorry.”  
“It’s alright. If you want to talk about him I’ll listen. Your decision. May I ask what you tell Ricky about his father?”  
“He hasn’t asked yet, I’m waiting for that every day. I’ll tell him the truth, I won’t lie to my son. Never. How am I supposed to expect him to be honest to me when I lie to him? I don’t believe in this phrase, that it’s better to lie sometimes, it’s never good to lie to your child. He has only me, I can’t let him down by lying at him.”  
“I hope he’ll appreciate that. I mean all of it. He can be happy to have you as his mother.”  
“Tell him. It can’t be bad to remind him of that fact every now and then.”  
“I’m sure he knows. And when he’s in kindergarten he’ll see it very clear, when other children will tell him about their home. Not every child has a mother that loves her child as much as you do. Don’t worry, Ricky will be a good and happy child and I doubt you’ll have trouble with him. All you need to do is tell him, you’ll call his grandmother and the captain will take care of him. Your mother has the reputation to scare everybody.”  
“Yes.” Sofia laughed. Maybe she could use that when Ricky made the decision not to listen to his mother anymore. 

Part 2

“You know one more day and I would have thought you don’t want to spend time with us.” Greg teased Sofia. He, Sofia, Sara, Cath, Nick and Ray had met after shift for breakfast.   
“I’m sorry that it took so long.”  
“We’re here now so it doesn’t matter anymore.” Sara said before Sofia has to explain why she had no time.   
“Right. Coffee and breakfast, I pay. The new one.”  
“New old one.”  
“I didn’t hear the word ‘old’, Nick.”  
“I didn’t mean it as like you’re old. I meant it like a welcome back. I hope this time you’ll stay longer.”  
“I’m afraid I asked Ecklie to transfer me to day as soon as a spot opens up there.”  
“You don’t want to work with us?”  
“Greg, I like working with you but I don’t want to work nights anymore. I didn’t work it in Boulder and I have to say, I didn’t miss being awake the whole night. There’s something nice about sleeping around midnight.”  
“So is sleeping around noon.”  
“As I said, I’m happy to be back with you, I enjoy working with you but I’d like to work days. If I have to wait a few month for that I won’t complain. I’m sure I can teach you some things, boy.”  
“You? You’re the rookie now. Out of business for over four years, we’ll have to teach you everything.”  
“The last two weeks showed Sofia still knows how to handle evidence.” Cath said. “I think we don’t have to train her. What brought you back to CSI?”  
Sara threw a short look at Sofia. Of course this question had to come up, it was natural. The question was, would Sofia tell them about Ricky or would she tell them something new? So far she hadn’t mentioned her son at work.  
“Driving every day to Boulders takes a lot of time and a colleague of me got shot last month. I thought it’s safer to be a CSI.”  
“Not always.” Nick sighed. He had to think of his abduction, two years later it was Sara whose life was in danger and another year later Warrick got killed.   
“It’s safer than being a detective. I don’t need this adrenalin shots anymore.”  
“You’re involved?” Cath asked suspiciously. “Usually men don’t want their woman to do dangerous jobs.”  
“No, I am not involved and I wouldn’t let any guy make the decision what I do for a living. It’s my decision, not the one of anybody else.”  
“And you mother hates you for that.”  
“She will learn to live with it. It’s my life.”  
“If you guys go on like that Sofia will feel like a suspect.” Sara said and got a thankful look from Sofia. “She’s back that’s all that count. I’m happy you’re back again.” She rose her cup of coffee. “To Sofia.”  
“To Sofia.” Greg joined her. “And Sara. We’ve got you both back in a few months. I’ve to say that were the best decisions Ecklie had made so far.”  
“It was about time for him to make a good decision.” Nick grinned. “He made enough wrong ones.”  
“I didn’t hear that.” Cath chuckled.   
“You’re not working at the moment, Cath, you’re allowed to say what you think. No needs for politics.”  
“You never who is next to you, listen and give all the words you said to the wrong person.”  
“They all look fine.” Nick took a look around. “And it’s all true what we’re saying.”   
“Sometimes the truth is exactly the thing the other person doesn’t want to hear.” Cath warned him. 

“Where is my favorite guy?” Sara got down on her knees and opened her arms. Ricky let go of Sofia’s hand and run to Sara. They met on a playground in the afternoon, Sara hadn’t seen Ricky for a few days and Sofia had told her, her son was asking for Sara on a daily base.   
“Here he is. Hey Sweetie.” She hugged him and took him on her arms.   
“Yes. He annoyed me the whole time. Usually it’s a fight to make him wear all his clothes, he hates his jacket and the boots, but today he was about to put them on before he had eaten anything. I told him after lunch and when he’s dressed up proper he can see you. There was nothing that could get him distracted from the fact you were waiting. I’ve to teach him how to read the clock then he can sit in front of it and stare at it.”   
“You wanted to see me, that’s cute.” Sara let Ricky back to the ground. “Go and play.”   
“Sara too.”  
“I should come with you? Okay. Let’s go to the slide.” Together they climbed up the stairs and glided down the slide.   
“‘Gain.”  
“Again? Okay. You’ll make me fit.” Sara took his hand and climbed up the stairs again. Ricky got her to repeat this two more times then Sofia stopped her son and told him to play in the sand. Both women wanted to see a huge and beautiful castle. With this order Ricky climbed in the sand and started to build a castle, with Sofia and Sara only a few yards away on bench.   
“I’m sorry that he takes you over so much. He’s really into you.”  
“I love playing with him. Thanks to Ricky I know now I can handle children.”  
“You’re very good. I think you’re ready to get your own one even if I’m not allowed to say that because my son wants your full attention.”  
“He’ll get it, I won’t get an own child.”  
“The husband is too far away. Don’t you get special holidays? So that you can fly to France every few weeks?”  
“I think my husband could come over.”  
“Doesn’t he have to wait for holidays?”  
“Yes. The last time he had a week off he went to a conference about bugs in London.”  
“Oh.”  
“That’s what I said.”  
“I know it’s not my business but I wonder about that a few weeks, now that we spend some time together. Are you happy?”  
“With Grissom? With my marriage? With my life?”  
“Shouldn’t all these three things belong together?”  
“Grissom is in Europe, my marriage is on pause and my life is in Vegas. I’m happy with my life.”  
“Okay.” Sofia took that as an answer of her unasked question if Sara wanted to talk about Grissom. She couldn’t blame her for not saying anything, Sofia herself didn’t talk about things Sara had asked her of. Like Ricky’s father.   
“Mom! Sara! Casl!”   
“You finished your castle? Good boy.” Sofia got up. “That’s a really nice castle. Where’s my room?”  
“There.” Ricky pointed in the middle of the little hill of sand he had built in front of him.   
“And where’s your room?”  
“There.” He pointed on the top. “And Sara.”  
“Sara sleeps in your room?”  
“Ya.”  
“You’re having an affair with my son, Sara Sidle! Don’t you want to ask me first if I approve your relationship?”  
“I didn’t know you’re that old-fashioned.” Sara laughed. “Ricky I think your mom wants me to have my own room. Can you build a room for me?”  
“No. Sara me.”   
“I’m sorry Sofia, the love of your son is stronger than your wish. I’ve to share a room with him. I’ll live on top of the castle.”   
“Are you two playing against me?”  
“It’s always against the mother, it’s called rebellion. Ricky is quite early with that but you’ll have to handle it.”  
“I might consider to separate the two of you. No more meetings.”  
“You won’t break our hearts.”  
“Are you sure about that?”   
“Yes.” Sara took Ricky in her arms. “I don’t give him up, not without fighting.”  
“Sara like.” Ricky kissed Sara’s cheek.   
“See, it’s real love.”  
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on you Romeo and Juliet, time to walk back. Otherwise the big builder will fall asleep on our way back and we have to carry him.”  
“Come on, Ricky, let’s go home.” Sara let him down. He grabbed Sara’s hand.   
“Sara too.”  
“Yes Sara comes with us.” Sofia said. Do you still like mommy?”  
“Like mommy.”   
“Good.” Sofia smiled. “You’ve got the night off, haven’t you?”  
“Yes. So do you.”  
“That’s right. Shall we have dinner together?”  
“I can also take care of Ricky and you go out and have some fun. I bet it had been ages that you were out the last time.”  
“I don’t miss it. I’ve got time for my son, I want to spend this time with him. The time for dancing and clubbing was ten or twenty years ago, now it’s time for family. After he adopted you as his new aunt, you’re family and can join us for a family pizza.”  
“Aunt? You got that wrong, he loves me, I’m his lover not his aunt. Aunt sounds awful old and old-fashioned and not like me.”  
“My son isn’t two years old yet, he’s much too young for a lover. You’ve to wait another nineteen years for him. And I insist that you divorce first before you date him.”  
“I’ll think about it. But I’m afraid in twenty years I’m much too old for him, he’ll call me grandmother.”  
“I’ll teach him some respect.”  
“Thanks. No, I’ll flirt with your son now and when he goes to kindergarten there’ll be other girls, young ones that will take my place. I’ll have to cope with that.”  
“Poor thing.” Sofia grinned.   
“I know.”  
“Sara? Arm.” Ricky stopped and held his arms up to Sara.   
“One more block, Ricky.” Sofia stopped his idea. “You can walk another block and I’ll carry you home.”  
“Sara.”  
“Yes I’ll carry you.” Sara smiled. “After you made this one block. You can do it, come on, you’re a big boy.”   
“You don’t have to carry him, Sara.”  
“That’s no problem. I like having him on my arm.”  
“Okay, but you’ll stay for dinner? Then I’ll order the pizza.”  
“I can do that. I’m sure I can make Ricky eat a lot of pizza.”  
“Yeah, one piece for you, two for him. A nice way to feed him.”  
“I know.” Sara grinned. 

It was way past midnight and they were still sitting on Sofia’s sofa. Ricky had been falling asleep on Sara’s lap again and got carried in his bed two hours ago.  
Sara’s cell phone rang for the second time this evening.   
“You don’t want to answer that?” Sofia asked. “I can go out if you want to have some privacy.”  
“Thank, but no thanks. I wouldn’t answer it if I’d be alone.” Sara took her cell and turned it off completely. “It’s Grissom.”  
“You…don’t want to talk to him?” Sofia wasn’t sure if she should ask this question.   
“Would you answer the phone when your husband had sent you hours before a text that he has got an offer from a university in England to teach there and he intends to take this offer, which means, he’ll be away for another two years? Of course you’re supposed to come over and give up what you managed to build up here. You’re supposed to leave your friends and the job you love. Wouldn’t you be a little bit upset?”  
“I’d be furious.” Sofia said. “He wants to stay in Europe?”  
“Yes.”  
“I’m sorry.” She took Sara’s hand. “Will you go over to him?”  
“Right now? No. I went with him ones, we had an agreement to stay in Europe for a year, when he changes that without really asking me, he has to stay there alone. I intend to fulfill my contract.”  
“Do you really want to sacrifice your marriage for the job?”  
“Me? I think Grissom is the one who is sacrificing our marriage. Emotional unavailable, that was something I accused him to be. And he said ones to a suspect, he could not give up his job for a relationship. He didn’t know I was behind the mirror, I was, I heard everything and in that moment I should have known, it can’t work out forever.” Sara’s voice was bitter.  
“Don’t say that. Maybe he’ll change his mind. Maybe he calls because he wants to tell you he’s sorry and he’ll be back in Vegas soon.”  
“Sofia, you know him. Do you think Grissom makes a decision and takes it back a few hours later?”  
Sofia wished she could say ‘yes’ and that her voice would sound convincing, but she knew Sara was right. Grissom didn’t make a decision and took it back a few hours later. He was a lot of things but not spontaneous.   
“I’m sorry.”  
“Not your fault. Not the best topic for a comfortable evening. I’ve to talk to him, I know, but at the moment I am too angry, it wouldn’t be good.”  
“Give yourself some time.”  
“I will.” Sara took another sip of her wine. “Be glad your man in the house doesn’t leave you alone.”  
“No, he depends on me, he can’t leave me.”   
“Even when he can, I doubt he’ll leave you.”  
“Only if you go away because you’re his big love. You’ll share the top room in the castle with him.”  
“Yes.” Sara laughed. “We might invite you there every now and then. You can bring some coffee and cookies.”  
“I’m not your butler.”  
“Not? You can try to be one.”  
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”  
“Sure. But make sure you’re dressed up proper. Don’t come up in jeans and shirt, you need to wear a skirt and a blouse.”  
“You can get your cookies yourselves.”  
“I’ll send him. He’s young and sporty.”  
“I’ve to find a sport for him. He’s not interested in sport right now, before he picks something like sky-diving I’d prefer to see him on a basketball field.”  
“He needs to be tall enough.”  
“Besides his blue eyes it seems like he comes after his father. He’ll be tall.” That was the first thing Sofia divulged about Ricky’s father. Before the blonde could go on Ricky showed up in the doorframe.  
“Mommy?”  
“Yes honey?”  
“Monster bed.” He walked to his mother and got on her lap.   
“There’s a monster under your bed? I don’t think so. Shall I have a look with you?”  
“Mommy sleep.”  
“You want to sleep in my bed? I thought you’re a big boy.”   
“No.” He snuggled in her arms. “Mommy.”  
“Hey Ricky.” Sara said and got his attention.  
“Ya?”  
“Do you want to sleep on my lap again? Like before?”  
“Ya.” He opened his arms so that Sara could get him. She placed the boy next to her, his head on a pillow and her lap. Sofia put a blanket over him and Sofia stroke his hair.   
“See, now we’ll take care of you and nobody can hurt you. Can you sleep now?”  
“Ya.”   
“Good. Close your eyes, sweetie.” With her index finger Sara caressed Ricky’s cheek and the boy closed his eyes. It took him less than two minutes to be completely asleep.   
“I can bring him back to his bed.” Sofia said.  
“If you don’t mind let him here. He’ll wake up if you carry him now and I don’t mind having him here. If he wakes up again because of monsters or whatever, we’ll be here and he will go back to sleep immediately.”  
“Okay. As long as you don’t mind him.”  
“How could anybody mind him? He’s so sweet.”  
“And it’s no surprise he likes you.”  
“Not? Why’s that?” Since when was she famous for being a child person?   
“Of whom does he remind you?”  
“Ricky? You, he has your eyes.”  
“Anything else?”  
“No.”  
“Tall, dark skin, black hair…”  
“Warrick.” Sara stopped and looked surprised at Sofia. Was the blonde about to tell her Warrick was the father of Ricky? Warrick – Ricky. Their names were similar.   
“Do you want to tell me…?”  
“Yes.”  
“But…when?”  
“When I left Vegas and started my job in Boulders I started to have a life. I went out a lot and one evening I met Warrick. His marriage was over, there was no way he and Tina would get back together. We danced, we drank, we had fun, and we ended up in bed. It was only one night, one night was enough. I got pregnant, didn’t tell Warrick because it was clear for both of us, we don’t want to be together and I was afraid he would think he has any obligations regarding Ricky and me.   
I thought I’d tell him later, when Ricky was here but I never got the chance.” Sofia stopped and fought with her tears. Sara bent carefully over and took Sofia’s hand, pulled her to her. Now she had Ricky on her lap and Sofia in her arms.   
Sofia and Warrick. And Ricky. Ricky was Warrick’s son. A son he never knew about.   
“I haven’t seen you at the funeral.” Sara said after Sofia had stopped crying.  
“I couldn’t go there. I wanted but I couldn’t. All I could think about was that our child would never meet his or her father. And that the father would never know about his child.”  
“He has another son.”  
“Warrick?”  
“Yes.”  
“Ricky has a half brother? Who?”  
“Warrick and Tina had a son. I don’t know his name, but if you want I can find out Tina’s number and address. I mean, Ricky should know that he has a half brother. They both should know. Not now but later.”  
“Yes.” Sofia sighed. “All I want is that he’s happy.”   
“He is a happy child. He never knew his father, it’s easier not to miss somebody you’ve never known. He might miss to have a father but that’s up to his mother to change. I’m sure there’s a decent guy anywhere who would be very happy to be the man on your side.”  
“Thanks.” Sofia smiled a little bit.   
“The most important thing for him will be that his mother is there, loves him and is happy. He’ll feel when you’re unhappy.”  
“He does already. Pretty smart boy.”  
“Of course he is, he has no other choice with this parents.” Sara nudged Sofia. “Come on, detective, give me a full smile. You’re much cuter when you smile.”  
“I am cute?”  
“I heard people saying other things, but cute was most of the times a part of their description for you. Or sexy blonde but I won’t call you that.”  
“Not? Why?” Sofia smirked.   
“Because you’ll get smug then.”  
“So you think I am sexy but you don’t tell me because it’s the truth and you don’t want me to know the truth?”  
“Are you about to turn my words so that they suit you best?” Sara raised an eyebrow.   
“Yes.”  
“Okay, I got that right. I’ve to turn your attempt to flirt with me down.”   
“I don’t flirt with married people.”  
“I don’t flirt with you.” Sara snorted with laughter. “But you are smug again.”  
“I am right, that’s a difference.”  
“Sure. I think I’ll go home now.”  
“You had wine, I won’t let you drive. I might not be a detective anymore but that doesn’t mean I don’t think like one anymore.”  
“I’ll call a cab.”  
“You can sleep here. The couch isn’t too bad, I sleep here every now and then too. No need to waste money on a cab. Let me bring the baby to bed and we’ll make it comfy for you.”  
“No, you don’t have to…”  
“Sara, are you trying to run away?”  
“What?”  
“Don’t run away. Stay. Please.”   
“Why?” Sara could see Sofia was serious with her request. Why was it important for her that Sara stayed? What was wrong with calling a cab?  
“I’d like to have you around a little bit more.”  
Sara cocked her head. “Do you miss me when I’m gone, Sofia Curtis?”  
“No, but Ricky does.” Sofia pouted.   
“Now it’s the son.”  
“He’s sleeping in your arms, not me.”  
“If you would tell me there’s a monster under your bed and you’re scared, I’d wonder what kind of detective you were.”  
“A damn good one.”  
“I know.” Sara smiled. “I always felt safe with you around. But I have to say it’s also nice to see you in the lab again. And one day we’ll get you to shut up while you’re processing.”  
“I can remember things better when I say them out loud. Leave me my little weakness.”  
“I will.”   
“Thanks. I hope we’ll catch a case together soon.”  
“Who knows? We’re both the newbies.”  
“The new old ones.”   
Ricky started to move a bit, Sara caught him before he came too close to the edge of the sofa.   
“Shall I bring him in his bed?”  
“It might be better for him. Even is he’ll miss his special pillow.”  
“If he wakes up he can come to me again. I’ve no problems to hold him the whole night.”  
“Stupid Grissom should start a family with you instead of talking about bugs somewhere in Europe.” Sofia grumbled. She couldn’t understand how Grissom preferred to be in Europe, to teach students things about bugs when he had a wife here, who was definitely perfect as a mother and loved children.   
“He’s more into bugs than human. I knew that before.”  
“He loves you.”  
“The question is, does he love me enough? More than talking about bugs?”  
“He could do that here. There’re plenty of universities in den US, no need to travel through Europe.”  
“There must be something special about this university.”  
“Can’t be as special as you are. I bet if he’d see you with Ricky, he’d come back here right away and start a family.”  
“I doubt he wants a family and I think I’m also too old for a first child. And I wouldn’t be a good mother.”  
“Why? All I’ve seen so far shows you’re more than a good mother.”  
“I don’t think my genes are made for being a mother.”  
“What?”  
“Never mind. We didn’t want to talk about sad things anymore. So when you make me stay longer, do I get some more wine?”  
“Cheese and cracker?”  
“Sounds interesting. We should spend more nights off together. It’s definitely more interesting to be with you than sitting at home alone and read some science magazines.”  
“That’s what I said. Stay. It’s too early to go to bed anyway.”  
“Not for Ricky. You get wine, cheese and cracker and I get your son in his bed.” Sara got up with Ricky on her arms. Automatically the little boy turned and wrapped his arms around her. With a smile Sara kissed his hair. One thing was for sure: Ricky was the cutest thing Warrick had left on this earth. A little Warrick. She wondered how much alike Ricky would look his father when he was older. And if he already looked like Warrick when he was young. Well, like Warrick only slightly paler. 

“Are you looking for a new job?” Sara sat next to Sofia. They had finished a case and took a break.   
“Huh? Why?”  
“The advertisement pages.”  
“No, I’ve got a job and I’m happy with this one. According to Ecklie I can plan to move to day in a few weeks, a first step. I had three points on my to-do-list for this year: getting a job in Vegas, working day, finding a new place to live.”  
“What’s wrong with your flat?”  
“Nothing beside the fact that there’s no garden. I’d love to have a garden for Ricky. He should be able to play outside and have a pet. Pets are good for children, help them to learn to take responsibilities.”  
“You’re looking for a house?”  
“I can’t afford a house, I’d love to. A small one in a nice area but being a single mother most of money goes into day care and rent.”  
“Mhm.” Sara only said.   
“Any good ideas?”  
“Let me think about it. I’ll check with Cath if she’s got anything else for us or if anybody needs some help.”  
“I need help.”  
“With what?”  
“This.” Sofia lifted the newspaper.  
“Ecklie won’t like it when I read newspaper with you and he is here somewhere.”  
“Did you have a fight with him again?”  
“Not in the last months, I’m behaving myself really good.” Sara grinned. Her and Ecklie’s fights had been famous but since she was back, they had worked together better than before. 

“You look shitty.”  
“Thanks.”  
“Wanna talk?” Sofia sat next to Sara. They had met again on the playground. After Ricky had taken Sara for a few rounds on the slide she was allowed to sit next to Sofia.   
“I didn’t sleep much and well.”  
“Nightmares?”  
“Kind of. I talked to Grissom, told him I don’t want to go back to Europe, that we had the agreement to stay a year there and then come back.”  
“And?”  
“He said it was an offer he couldn’t refuse. England is a lovely country, there would be work for me too. He couldn’t find a reason why I don’t want to go there.”  
“Did you tell him a reason?”  
“I told him I like Vegas, I like the States. I want to keep my job, my friends are here. Work isn’t the most important thing in life, he should consider that we both have our friends here.”  
“And me.” Sofia bopped Sara’s side.  
“It might scare you but I see you as a friend. I don’t spend as much time with anybody as with you and Ricky.”  
“Do you enjoy it?”  
“No, I like to do things I hate. Only in pain you really live.”  
“Stupid woman.” Sofia hugged Sara. “We like to spend time with you too.”  
“Sara arm!” Ricky had seen Sofia hugging Sara and wanted to be hugged now too. Sara took him on her lap and hugged him.   
“Love Sara.”  
“I love you too, Ricky.” Sara kissed his cheek. “Go and build our castle. I’d like to have a bigger room this time. Can you do that?”  
“Ya.” The boy smiled and ran back to the sand-box.   
“You know I’m sure Warrick would love it that you and Ricky are so close. Do you think I should tell the others about him? I told Ecklie today because he wanted a reason why I want to work days. He was happy with me on nights, a complete team.”  
“What did he say?”  
“He was surprised but promised me to get me over to day as soon as possible. I didn’t tell him who Ricky’s father is, that’s no ones business. But maybe I should tell the others that there’s a reason why I never join you for breakfast. You can’t make up stories all the time to keep my back free.”  
“I think they’ll love to meet Ricky.”  
“They’ll ask who the father is.”  
“Tell them the same you told me, you don’t want to talk about that.”  
“You accept that because you want people to accept the same when you don’t want to talk about some things. I’m not sure Cath will accept it. She’s very…. enthusiastic when it comes to children.”  
“She has to accept your decision.”  
“Don’t you think he looks very much like Warrick?”  
“Now that I know, yes, he does. I didn’t see that before. I mean, it was clear, his father has a dark skin, but that doesn’t mean, Warrick is his father.”  
“No.”  
“Ricky is hardly a thing you have to hide. He’s adorable.”  
“He got into your heart.”  
“Yeah, all he needed were five minutes and he had me. That never happened before.”  
“It’s because he has my charm.”  
“Yeah, I can remember I loved your from the first minute.”  
“You had a strange way of showing your love but I got you – months later.”  
“I don’t like it when some blonde is hitting on my man.”  
“He wasn’t your man there.”  
“He was. He just didn’t know it. Men need more time for the little things.”  
“True.” Sofia laughed.   
“So I’ve some hope that he’ll find out teaching isn’t as important as our marriage. If you don’t get this in the next weeks I’m not sure if I’ll still be married next year.”  
“You want a divorce?”  
“Tell me where the sense in a marriage is when both are on different continents.”  
“As long as there’s love.”  
“I could say if he loves me he’d come over but he can say the same for me. He came to South America to see me when I left Vegas, that’s why I came with him to France. I told him he can stay there until he’s done with his job, there had never been the idea of staying longer. If he changes our lives I’d like to be asked first. Because we’re married.”  
“I’d miss you if you go back but I’d understand it.”  
“I won’t go back. I’ll stay here with you and Ricky. If Grissom loves teaching more than me I’ve to live with that and start to live my own life again.”  
“You are such a nice couple.”  
“A separated couple.”  
“Still a couple.” Sofia smiled.   
“He has a few weeks to change his mind. I told him I don’t want to change our plans and want to stay here. It’s up to him to make his decision. Europe or me.”  
“I’d choose you.”  
“I’ll consider that in case I ever have to make a decision between you and Europe.” Sara smirked. “But because you’ve got my lovely little Ricky, I’ll stay with you.”  
“So you stay with Ricky, not with me?”  
“Yes. Like I met Ricky today. I only talk to you because he’s busy building our future castle. I’m sure he’ll get you a lovely room in the basement.”  
“Sara Sidle, you’re not nice today.”  
“Sara nice.” Ricky had heard the last words and looked at them.  
“Thank you Ricky. Mommy is only teasing me, don’t worry. What is the castle doing?”  
“Done.”   
“Oh, you’re done? Let’s have a look.” Sara got up and sat next to Ricky. “Where’s mommy’s room?”  
“There.” He pointed on the middle of the sand castle.   
“And yours?”  
“There.” Again the top.  
“Where do I sleep?”  
“There.” He pointed on the same point.   
“I told you, Sofia, you’ll be in the basement, I’ll be in the penthouse.”  
“Are you sure you don’t want to go to Europe? Like right now?”  
“I am very sure.” Sara took Ricky on her arm. “Shall we slide a little bit more?”  
“Ya!”   
She climbed a few more times with him on the slide and stopped when she saw he was getting tired. With him on her arms Sara and Sofia started their way back. It didn’t take long for the boy to fall sleep on Sara’s arm. He was happy and held on to her jacket while he was sleeping. 

Part 3

“Sofia is late.” Greg took a look at his watch. “That means she has to pay the first drinks.”  
“Cut her some credit she’ll have a good reason.” Sara smiled. They all were at a pool hall, it was later afternoon and Nick had came up with the idea they could all meet here before they go to work. If they’d like it they could do that on a regular base, like once a month.   
“It’s your downfall, Sara. Nick and me, we’ll kick your ass.”  
“Really? You know pride will have to fall.”  
“I won’t fall.” He bopped her.   
“Guys I see Sofia – and she isn’t alone.” Nick stared to the door. The others followed his eyes. Yes, there was Sofia and no, she wasn’t alone. Ricky was on her arm.   
Sara smiled. Sofia had taken the evening with all together to tell them about her son.   
“Sorry I’m late, somebody needed too much time to get ready.”  
“Sara!” Ricky spotted Sara and wanted out of the arms of his mother.   
“Hey sweetie.” Sara took Ricky in her arms and kissed him. “Nice to see you. How are you?”  
“Good. Sara love.”   
“I love you too.”   
“Who is that?” Greg asked Sofia.  
“That is my son, Ricky. Ricky, if you have a minute look who’s here.”   
“Sara!”   
“Yes but here are more people than Sara. Even if she’s the only one you’re interested in.”   
“Such a smart kid.” Sara stroked Ricky’s cheek. “Come on Ricky, have a look. Mommy wants to tell you who is here.”  
“Thanks. Ricky, that’s Ray, Cath, Nick and Greg. Guys that’s my son, Ricky.”   
“You have got a son?” Cath, being all mother, was hooked by the boy. “You never told us.”  
“I thought I wait for the best moment. Tonight seemed to be a good moment.”  
“But Sara knew.”  
“She and Ricky met when she came to my place for my statement.”  
“And when I came back a week later to tell her we’ve got the killer, Ricky and me fell in love.” Sara laughed.  
“They are. My son is all over Sara as soon as he sees her. I’m nothing when she’s around.”  
“Does that mean you’re married, Sofia?”   
“No Cath, I’m not married and I’m not living together with the father on my son.”  
“Oh.”  
“Single mother.”  
“Welcome to the club. Who’s taking care of him when you’re working?”  
“My neighbor. She is a really nice elderly lady and Ricky likes her a lot. He sleeps at her place in the night and is in day care. That’s why I want to change shifts. I want to have my son around me, I barely see him when he’s gone when I’m home and sleep and when at night I’m away. All we have is the little time gap in the morning when I get him back from my neighbor and in after noon when I get him back from day care.”  
“Tomorrow night you stay at my place Ricky.” Sara offered. “I can take care of you, I’ve got a night off. Do you want to play with me?”  
“Ya!”   
“Let’s ask mommy if that’s all right with her.”  
“You can stay at our place then you don’t have to carry all his things over if you really want to spend your free evening with a baby.”  
“I do. We’ll build some castles and share toast and then I’ll bring you to bed and read a story for you. Would you like that?”  
“Ya!”   
“Sara, you should get your own child.” Cath chuckled.  
“I prefer the borrowed one. This way I can spend time with him whenever I want and don’t have to worry what to do when I’ve to work.”  
“I’m sure you and Griss would be great parents.”  
“Cath, that’s not the point. Besides, Grissom isn’t here. And when I want to wait until he’s back I’m more a grandmother then a mother. No, I give my energy to Ricky, we’re good friends, aren’t we Ricky?”  
“Ya. Sara love.”   
“I love you too, Ricky.”  
“Awe they’re so cute. He has your eyes.” Greg wanted to have Ricky but the boy held on to Sara.   
“There’s no chance you’ll get him out of Sara’s arm, Greg. Don’t try it.”   
“He has to when we’re playing pool. Nick and me will beat you.”  
“You and Nick can play first against Ray and Cath. Sara and me will keep Ricky busy and maybe she’s allowed to play pool after a little while.”  
“Okay, get started” Nick got the cue while Sara and Sofia sat down with Ricky at the table. Sofia got some toys out of her bag.   
“Here, we took some cars to play.”  
“I’m sure he won’t be bored.” Sara smiled. “Feel better now?”  
“After everybody knows I’ve got a son? Yes, it’s a little relief. Although I hope there won’t be too many following questions. There’s no need to tell everybody who is his father.”  
“I’ve got Tina’s address.” Sara made sure nobody was listening to their conversation. “You don’t have to go there now, but when you want Ricky to know about his half brother, you know where to go.”  
“Thanks.”  
“No big deal. Back to this evening, how good are you at shooting pool?”  
“I know what to do but that doesn’t mean the balls know where I want to have them. Why?”  
“Greg says he and Nick will be our downfall.”  
“It’s an ego thing for guys. Do you need to win?”  
“No.”  
“Good.” Sofia paused for a few seconds. “Do you really want to take care of Ricky tomorrow?”  
“Yes, that’s what I’ve said. I can come over to your place if you want, that’s no problem. Your sofa is comfy, I’ll be fine. I mean, I don’t plan to sleep anyway to stay in the rhythm, but if I want to have a little nap, I’ll be fine. Otherwise I’ll just stay, read and watch some movies. I saw you’ve got quite a collection.”  
“It’s one of the things you can do with a son. As soon as he’s in bed it’s my cinema time. There are not many things you can do at home, the few you can do, I do.”  
“See, no need to worry. I wouldn’t go out anyway, it doesn’t matter if I sit on my sofa or on yours, the only difference is, Ricky can sleep in his bed when I’m over.”  
“I’ve no idea what I did before you were here.”  
“You did a damn good job if I look at your son.”   
“Thanks.” Sofia stroked Ricky’s hair. There were a lot of things in life she couldn’t do anymore but Ricky was worth to pass on doing all these things she did before. He was the most important thing in her life. 

“Ricky is in bed and he sleeps.” Sara came back in the living room. She had brought Ricky to bed and read a story to him. Before she could finish this one, he was deep asleep.   
“Thanks. I finished dinner.” Sofia had cooked for them. Since she was a mother cooking was something she had to do every day. There was no way she would raise her son with fast food. Once a week they ordered food, always something different, but she had never taken him to Mc Donalds or Burger King. There had to be something healthy in their food and she didn’t consider a burger as healthy. Because Ricky liked salad and vegetables, she had no problems making him eat something healthy.   
“I get something fresh and self-made that’s what I call service. What did you cook?”  
“Potatoes, steak and a mixed salad. For the vegetarian in the room I’ve got tofu.”  
“There was no need to buy tofu only for me. I could have eaten potatoes and salad, that’s no problem at all.”  
“No, I want a complete meal for you. That’s why there’s a soup and I made dessert.”  
“I guess the dessert is the unhealthy thing.”  
“No, it’s a fruit salad. Maybe with a little bit of vanilla sauce on top, but most of it is healthy.”  
“Being a mother made you responsible. I’m impressed.”  
“Don’t mock me.”  
“Never, mom.”  
“Shut up.” Sofia laughed. “Get us some wine, I’ve got a 2002 Chardonnay.”  
“Wow, something special.”  
“Of course. We’ve got a night off together, I call that special.”  
“And I’ve got something to tell you.”  
“Oh dear. Positive or negative?”  
“I hope positive.”  
“Good. Don’t get me wrong I’m happy when you’re happy but when it’s something positive it can’t mean you’re going to Europe. As much as I wish you’re in a happy marriage, I don’t want to lose you. Awful selfish, isn’t it?”  
“No.” Sara laughed. “And no, I don’t go to Europe. I made it very clear to Grissom he has to come back to America or we’ll stay in different places. How long I can manage to be married to somebody who lives thousands of miles away from me, I don’t know. I still love him, but…it doesn’t help to live the way we live. I moved in this little place because I thought it’s only for a few months, he’ll be back soon and we can look for a house together. Now that he won’t come back, I need a place I like.”  
“I’m glad you stay.”  
“I’ve got a contract with the lab.”  
“You know how to push Ecklies buttons so he’ll let you leave earlier.”  
“Maybe.” Sara smirked and got serious again. “Sofia, I though about something the last couple of days and I’d like to make a suggestion to you. Please don’t answer immediately, think about it, think about Ricky and what is the best for him. I don’t want to have an answer before we haven’t finished dinner. Okay?”  
“Okay.” Sofia wasn’t sure how to feel and what to expect. It sounded very serious what Sara was about to tell her. Did they have a serious topic? One that was on the mind of the brunette for a few days? Sofia couldn’t remember any.   
“You told me you want to move, get a new place so that Ricky can have a garden and a pet. I’ll definitely stay in Vegas, no matter what Grissom says, so I thought, why don’t we share a house? As soon as you’re on dayshift, you’ll be there for him at night time and I’ll be there during the day. I know he’s usually in day care but if there’s an emergency I would be there and you don’t have to leave the lab. Consider it, think about it, if you don’t like it’s all right, I won’t be offended.” Sara could see Sofia wanted to say something but stooped herself.   
“All right, I’ll think about it.”  
“Good. While you’re thinking we can eat, I’m starving.”  
“Let me guess, you didn’t eat after you woke up?”  
“No, you told me we’ll have dinner. I had breakfast around nine and that’s it.”  
“No wonder you’re starving.” Sofia served the soup and some fresh bread.   
“Did you get any more questions about Ricky’s father?”  
“Yes, Cath tried it a few times. I told her, Ricky’s father wasn’t part of Ricky’s life and would never be a part of it. I think she understands that I don’t want to talk about him. And Greg was sweet, he offered to take Ricky to a football game when he’s older. A boy needs a man to bring him closer to sport, were his words.”  
“Greg as a babysitter? I’m sure he’s good with children.”  
“Yeah, I bet he will teach Ricky how to play video games. And how to mess up his hair.”  
“Ricky’s hair is so curly, there won’t be many things he can do with it except for having it very short or long and look…well, as long as he’s young he’ll look cute with long black curls falling on his shoulder, I don’t know about later.”  
“I won’t tell my son what to do with his hair. If he wants it short, okay, is he wants it long, okay, if he wants it blond and down to his ass, it’s his head. But I’ll tell him with the last version will make him look really ridiculous.”  
“The blond hair will be perfect with his blue eyes but his skin is too dark for blond hair.”  
“Yes. Sara…”  
“After dinner, Sofia.”   
“Do you really think I’ll change my mind after we’ve eaten?”  
“No but you’ll have some more time to think about it.”  
“I am not a detective anymore, I’m not sexy anymore, I’m a geek now. Thinking isn’t a problem anymore.” Sofia smiled.  
Sara laughed. “First of all, you were as a detective smart too. You’ve never been one of these ‘I shoot first and then I think’ officers, second just because you’re smart it doesn’t mean you’re not sexy. I had a boyfriend in high school, he said, knowledge is sexy.”  
“Really? Nice guy.”  
“Yeah. He left me two weeks later for a cheerleader.”   
“Oh.” Sofia started laughing. “I’m sorry.”  
“That’s all right. Who wants a jerk that is into these stupid girls with their pompons?” Sara looked at Sofia. “Have you been a cheerleader?”  
“Just because I’m blond it doesn’t mean I was a cheerleader. I hated them, they were so famous and so arrogant. I cut my hair, dyed it black to be the opposite of them. Nobody pays attention to a girl with short black hair.”  
“Short black hair and these blue eyes, sounds pretty interesting.”  
“Not for guys, they don’t take the time to look closer.”  
“What made you change your color to blond?”  
“My boyfriend. He had long blond hair and I loved it. We were quite a couple when I had my hair longer and blond.”  
“I can imagine. Did people know who was the girl? When you see two people with long blond hair from behind, it’s not that easy on the first sight.”  
“My ass looked better than his.” Sofia smirked.   
“You’re right with the blondes and arrogant.”  
“I told you. Would you like some more?”  
“No, thanks. You said there’s dessert, I need some space for that too.”  
“Give me your plate.”  
“If you play waitress I’ll have a look at Ricky.”  
“He’ll be asleep. Believe me, he leaves the bed when he wakes up and something seemed to be wrong for him.”  
“I care for my baby.” Sara smiled and left the table. Carefully she opened the door and looked into Ricky’s room. He was sleeping, had his blanket kicked away a little bit. She walked in the room and covered him up again. He was so cute, lying there deep asleep. She could sit the whole night in front of his bed and watch him.   
Were that some kind of maternal feelings? Was something deep inside herself telling her, she should get pregnant? If that was so, her feeling should take the time to reconsider that there was no man in her life. That her husband was in Europe and didn’t waste a thought of starting a family. No man, no baby.   
Could she be a good mother? Her mother wasn’t a good mother, she never really cared about Sara. Her father had abused her. There weren’t any genes in her that could tell her what to do and what a baby needed. She wasn’t raised in a loving family, she had lived in hell at home and later in foster families, not much better than home. If Sara was like her parents, she would be a drunk, an abuser and had a killer gene. Not the best things for a baby, nothing she wanted to give to her child. And at least the alcohol had been a problem in her life, who told her, the rest wouldn’t follow?   
Maybe moving together with Sofia and Ricky wasn’t a good idea at all. For Ricky’s sake. What was if she became like her mother? She didn’t want to hurt the boy in any kind. When her genes were against her and took over, could she be a danger for Ricky?   
“Sara?” Sofia was in the room.   
Sara winched.   
“Sorry. Come out, he’s all right and our dessert is waiting.” Sofia whispered.   
“Okay.” With one last look at Ricky Sara left the room.   
“You’re pale, are you all right?”  
“Yeah…I was just caught in a thought.”  
“It doesn’t look like it’s a nice one.”  
“No…Sofia, I don’t want to scare you, but do you think there’s a kind of killer gene?”  
“A killer gene? No.”  
“How can you be so sure?” Sara sat on the sofa. Sofia had placed their bowls on the little table in front of the sofa.   
“Pretty easy, it would make things too easy for killer. How perfect for them to say: Sorry, you can’t blame me, it’s in my genes. My parents were killer I had no other choice. You’ve to blame them, not me. That’s bullshit. It’s your life, it’s your responsibility what you do with and in it. If you kill somebody it’s your fault and not the fault of anybody else. We have seen enough killer and their parents were ordinary and good people. You pull the trigger, you hold the knife, you pour the poison in the drink. Nobody else.”  
“We are parts of our parents.”  
“Yes, we have something in common with our parents, what we do with this is up to us. If two lawyer get married it doesn’t mean their children will be perfect lawyers. Having two politicians as parents doesn’t make a the next president. It’s all up to yourself.”  
“How can somebody with a bad childhood, with abusing parents and years of foster life be a good mother or even good to a child? It’s something you have never learnt.”  
“Were your parents scientists?” Sofia could feel this was very personal to Sara, very important and something that was haunting the brunette. She hadn’t touched her dessert so far, sat on the sofa, arms around her knees like she wanted to protect herself.   
“No.”  
“Anything like that?”  
“Nothing like that.”  
“See and you’re one of the best in the whole country. They are your parents but you are an own person, you made this out of you, you made a scientist out of the child your mother gave birth to. You. Only you. And only you make the decision if you are a good mother, if you’re good with children and if you take care of them. Seeing your for a few months with Ricky I can tell you, you are damn good with children, Sara. I’d trust you with my sons life without hesitation. And he trusts you with all his life. I don’t know how your parents were to you, but I can tell you, if they weren’t good, you are not like them. You are completely different. You are you.”  
“My mother killed my father in front of my eyes. I’m…I’m afraid I’m like her. A bad mother. A bad person. A killer.” Sara couldn’t fight her tears back. How did she end up like this? All she wanted to do was making sure Ricky was all right and now she was crying.   
Sofia took Sara in her arms and held her. She didn’t know about Sara’s past but she didn’t believe that the brunette would be any kind of danger for Ricky or anybody else. There was no killer in Sara Sidle, there was a sensitive woman, who obviously got hurt too often and tried to run away from her demons of the past. A woman, who had made herself to one of the best forensic scientist in America and the best babysitter Sofia could imagine for her son.   
“I’m sorry.”  
“What for? There’s no need to be sorry.”  
“You must think I’m nuts.”  
“No, I never thought that. I though some other things about you, but never that.” Sofia smiled and lifted Sara’s head to see her eyes. “You are not like your mother, Sara. You are unique. You’re sensitive, you’re caring, you’re reliable and so much more. But you are not a killer. You are not somebody who would abuse a child, you are not a person who looks away when a child or anybody else get hurt. You stand in for the ones who can’t help themselves. You are the opposite of your parents and it was you, who made you to that. Your genes can’t change what you’ve made out of yourself. This loving, caring, responsible person is you.”  
“I’ve no idea why I started to think about that. I was watching Ricky and he looked so cute, I thought, what if, if I have a baby and I’d be like my parents. And if I could be a danger for Ricky. I don’t want to hurt him, I’m…  
“Sara, stop that. You won’t hurt him, you are not capable of hurting Ricky. Believe me I wouldn’t leave you alone with my son if I had any doubt. I see you and him and I know, he’s as safe with you as he is with me.”  
“I could never hurt him.”  
“I know. And that’s you. There is no other side of you. There’s no monster in you, there’s no abuser in you. Don’t worry about thing you are not. You’d be a perfect mother and you are already a perfect babysitter.”  
“A babysitter with a mental problem.”  
“All people have at least one mental problem. Everybody who claims not to have one is crazy.”  
“What’s your crazy point?”  
“Mine? I want to move in with you.” Sofia laughed when she saw Sara’s face. “It’s after dinner I was allowed to answer.”  
“I thought with my downfall I’d have scared you away.”  
“If you want to get out of this you have to try harder or to tell me straight that you don’t want to share a house with Ricky me. My first intention was to say no, why should we do something like that? Then I thought about it. We both don’t like our places, if we share a place we really can have a house with garden. I’d make my son absolutely happy with this, he could see you every day and he’ll love that. And I like to spend time with you too. So yes, let’s find a place we both like and move. Under one condition.”  
“Which one?”  
“You are not a daily babysitter. I’ll get Ricky to day care, I’ll get him home, I’ll take care of him. You will have your own life, you won’t stay at home and baby-sit. I want you to have a life. And if you make the decision you want to be with your husband again, tell me. I can understand you if you want.”  
“There were more than one condition.”  
“They were cheaper in a dozen. Do we have an agreement?”  
“Am I allowed to spend any time with Ricky?”  
“You’re allowed to spend as much time as you want with Ricky. All I don’t want is having you as a cheap babysitter.”  
“I am a lot of things, Miss Curtis, but not cheap.” Sara grinned. 

“How was your first day on day?”   
“Exhausting. I didn’t really sleep last night, my rhythm isn’t set for the new shift. How was the first day without me?”  
“Lonely. We want you back.”  
“In fifteen years when Ricky can be home alone at night.”  
“Or when we find a decent guy for you who’ll take care of him while you’re working.”  
“Never?”  
“I like when you’re positive.” Sara opened the backdoor of Sofia’s car. They had met to have a look at a house they were interested in. Ricky was in his baby seat on the backseat sleeping. Carefully Sara got him out and held him in her arms.   
“So tired.”  
“He had a long day in day care. With every day he gets more active and plays a lot. What means, he has less time for naps and is exhausted when I take him home. I think I like that, this way I have some time to do some homework.”  
“I didn’t know you’re a housewife.”  
“Don’t make yourself unpopular, Sidle. I can still change my mind and not move in with you.”  
“You told Ricky, you won’t break his heart.”  
“I can replace you with a huge teddy bear. He saw one last week in the shopping center. I’m sure he won’t ask for you anymore after I’ve bought this one for him.”  
“He won’t replace me with a teddy bear, no way. Not my sweet little boy.” Sara kissed Ricky. The boy had wrapped his arms around her neck and slept with his head on her shoulder.   
“No, we want to keep you, you’re handy. You found a really nice area, I saw a playground only one block away. Much better than the last two place we looked at.” They had a few looks around in the last week, but none of the places they saw were like the one they imagined or they were much too expensive. This one seemed to be in a nice area and not too expensive.   
The real estate manager was waiting for them in front of the house.  
“Mrs. Sidle, Miss Curtis, hello.”  
“Good afternoon, Mister Walter.” Sara said.   
“Who is that?”  
“My sleeping son.” Sofia smiled. “Let’s hope he’ll stay like that.”  
“There won’t be noise so he should be fine. Do you have a buggy for him? We could leave him inside.”  
“No, no buggy.”  
“I’ll keep him in my arms, that’s no problem at all.” Sara stroked Ricky’s back. She wouldn’t leave him here in the house alone while they were walking around. If he woke up, he would not know where he was and might be scared. She wouldn’t risk that.  
“Let’s start with the downstairs area, shall we?” He opened the door. There was a little hallway behind the door. Stairs on the left side of the door led upstairs.   
“This area is quite small, I know, but for that we’ve got a nice big kitchen here.” Mister Walter opened a door on the right side. A complete kitchen was there. Two big windows gave the room light and another door got them straight into the living room. This room was like two rooms together without a wall in the middle. Windows to the garden side showed green bushes and lawn. In all rooms was stone floor.   
Sofia opened a glass door and stepped into the garden. It wasn’t anything big, she guessed around two hundred square yards. Enough space to give Ricky some area to play. And maybe she could have a little bed with vegetables in one corner.   
“Not too bad, a little bit narrow the garden.” Sara said. She didn’t want to say too many nice things about the house, Mister Walter would take that as a reason to raise the price. It was better to complain about a few things.   
“There’s some garden in front of the house too. Let me show you the lumber-room. It’s under the stairs.” He guided them inside and opened a door next to the stairs. The lumber-room was quite big and had a little window. Perfect for provisions and other small things.   
“May I show you the rooms upstairs?”  
“Sure.” Sofia wanted to take Ricky but Sara shook her head. She was fine and had no problems to carry the boy a little bit longer.   
“Here’s the first big bedroom. It has a balcony to the front. The street is quiet, nobody will disturb you.”  
Sara took a closer look at the room. Four by four yards, the balcony was two by one. Not too bad.   
“The second big bedroom is over here, the same size like the first one but it goes to the garden, the balcony is longer. The bathroom is here.” He opened the door and Sara had to choke down a little scream. A big shower, a tub and two bathroom cabinets. All in white and with a window above the tub.   
“The third bedroom is slightly smaller and has no balcony.” He opened the door. “Like downstairs here’s a little room, like a lumber-room.” The room was narrow, two yards and around four yards long. A small window didn’t let too much light in it.   
“The house has an attic.”  
“I saw the roof is quite flat, the attic can’t be high.” Sara said.   
“No, but it will do for a few things.”  
“But not as a separate room, like a guest room.”  
“I’m afraid your guest would have to mind their head.”  
“I thought so.” Another minus point on the list. She hated to be nitpicking, at the moment it was to their own best.   
“If you want you can wander around and have a look in all the rooms for yourself. I’m afraid I’ve to leave you, just close the door behind you when you leave, would you?”  
“Sure, no problem.” Sofia was glad to have some time alone with Sara. “I’ll give you a call as soon as we have made a decision, latest by tomorrow afternoon.”  
“I appreciate that. Thanks you very much, ladies.”  
They waited until he was gone.   
“And?” Sofia asked.   
“Small garden, low attic.”  
“You don’t like it?”  
“I never said that. I saw the bathroom.”  
“It’s a dream, isn’t it?” Sofia was released that Sara wasn’t that averse to the house as she had looked first.   
“It is. I like the place.”  
“So do I. Which room do you want?”  
“Which room would you like me to take?”  
“Well, I’d say Ricky gets the one without balcony. He doesn’t need one, it’s too dangerous. I don’t care if I sleep to the street or the garden.”  
“I guess you want to be as close as possible to your son, so you should take the room to the garden.”  
“Are you sure you don’t want a garden view?”  
“Sofia, I’ll be asleep most time of the day and work in the night, I don’t need a great view. I need a place to sleep, that’s all.”  
“We take it?”  
“If we can’t find a reason why not, we should take it.”  
“It’s available immediately. How much overtime do you have?”  
“More than Ecklie wants me to have.” Sara grinned. She could have a few days off to get rid off her overtime and Ecklie would like the idea. He was behind her all the time that she should take some time off and not accumulate so much overtime. 

“Sara?” Sofia came with Ricky on her hand in the house. She had collected her son from day care and had Sara expected to be at home. It was her night off, there was no reason why should be away. At least she didn’t tell Sofia any.   
“Sara?” Ricky started to call. He let loose of Sofia’s hand and ran into the house. Systematically he searched the kitchen and the living room. No Sara. The door to the garden was open, so he went outside.  
“Sara!” There she was.   
“Hey Ricky, how are you? How was day care?”  
“Good. What you doing?”  
“I built something for you. Have a look.” Sara stepped aside.   
“Water!”  
“Yes.” Sara had spent the afternoon in the garden to build a little pool for Ricky. The last time in the warehouse she had found a pool and when everybody had left in the morning, she got a shovel and started digging. Two by two yards and three foot deep. It had cost her four hours be get the hole the size she wanted it, another hours to secure it and – thanks to Greg’s help from there on, only one more hour to get the pool in the hole. For Ricky’s security they had build a cover. The whole pool could be closed with a wooden cover. This way they could use the space too.   
“Here you are, we were wondering…” Sofia stopped when she saw the pool. “What is that?”  
“Our pool.”  
“A pool?”  
“Yes. Nothing fancy, nothing to swim in but it will be a great refreshment in summer time. Ricky, do you want to try it?”  
“Ya!”  
“Get your swim suit.” Ricky ran into the house.   
“You built a pool?”  
“Not a real pool. More a water hole. I hope it’s a positive surprise.”  
“I’m just surprised right now.”  
“I know I should have told you, but if you tell somebody about a surprise it’s not a surprise anymore. I thought of the security of Ricky. Greg, who was so kind and helped me, and me built a cover for the pool. When we finish our water fun, we can put this cover over the pool. It’s solid, you can walk on it, it won’t break. It’s heavy enough so that Ricky can’t move it, so he won’t be able to use the pool without our permission. The water level at the moment is a foot, that is deep enough for him. We can make it higher every year, around three foot high is possible. There’s a pump so we can change the water without a problem. And if you are all right with it, we’ll have our own beach.”  
“What?”  
“I’ve got some sand, Greg build a kind of sandbox without a bottom. We can place it next to the pool, there’s sand in the corner and have our own beach. Same size like the pool, two by two. Enough space to lay down and for Ricky to build castles.”  
“You’ve planed an adventure playground.”  
“For that the long slides and rope to jump into the pool are missing. You know what the best thing is about all these things?”  
“What?”  
“We can make them disappear if you don’t like them.” Sara smiled. “One word and they’re gone by tomorrow.”  
“Do you really think I’d take a away a pool and a sandbox? My son will hate me for weeks if I do so. You said it’s safe, he can’t fall in it. That’s all I need to know.”  
“Anything that is any kind of danger for Ricky won’t come on our premises, I promise.” Sara organized a safe for the little room on the top floor. They made a kind of office out of it and on top of a shelf was a safe, she and Sofia could lock in their weapons if they came from a scene straight home. This way it was away from Ricky and he wouldn’t come close to it.   
“A pool and a sandbox. You’re crazy.” Sofia hugged Sara. “In case my son forgets to thank you, I’ll do that. Thanks Sara, that is a surprise.”  
“You’re welcome. You should get into your bikini and join us in the pool.”  
“I will. And I’ll help Ricky to find his bathing suit.”   
Sofia found her son on her way up to her room. Ricky wore a shorts, not a bathing suit.   
“Wrong outfit, my son. Come I’ll give you your bathing suit and then we’ll go in the pool together.” She took the bathing suit out of his wardrobe and changed herself into a bikini. When she and Ricky came down Sara was in her bikini too.   
“Ricky, try the water.” She had placed hard rubber steps in the water so that the boy could go into the water. “Don’t worry, they are not slippery.”   
“You thought of everything, didn’t you?” Sofia said.   
“I hope so.” Sara waited until Sofia and Ricky were in the water.  
“This water is warm.”  
“I put some hot water in it so that we’ll have it nice and warm in there. The sun is almost gone, it’s not that hot anymore.”  
“Will you come to us?”  
“Sure. All we need is this.” Sara turned and presents a tray with drinks. “Cocktails. We’ll have cocktails in the pool.” Carefully she stepped down in the water, placed the tray on the side. “I’ve one for Ricky, with umbrellas and a huge straw.” She gave the boy his glass. “And one for Sofia and me with fruits instead of an umbrella.”  
“And I can smell something that is hopefully not in Ricky’s cocktail too.”  
“His is special. We’ve got the boring one. I always had a soft spot for ‘Sex on the beach’, now I can have it every day in the pool. Or in the sand.”  
“As long as you are talking about the cocktail it’s fine with me. The other thing please only when Ricky isn’t there. He’s too young to have a peep show in the garden.”  
“I think I can arrange that.” With not having heard anything of Grissom in the last couple days and not seeing him for over four months Sara’s sex life didn’t exist anymore.   
“To us. To our pool. To our personal holiday spot.” Sara rose her glass.  
“To Sara, our surprise maker. Thanks for all the work.” Sofia kissed Sara’s cheek.   
“You’re welcome. All we need now is a blow up palm to have some shade when we use it in the afternoon sun.”  
“We’ll get one the next time we’re shopping. Where are you going, Ricky?” Ricky was about to climb out of the pool.  
“Ball. Playing.”  
“You’re right, Ricky. We have to play in the pool. Only sitting and drinking is too boring. Get us a ball and we’ll play water ball.” Sara finished her cocktail. There wasn’t enough water in the pool to play water ball but that didn’t matter. They’d have their fun anyway. 

“I’ve to thank Greg for helping you with the surprise. Why didn’t he stay?”  
“He had to sleep. Not everybody is that lucky to have a night off.” Sara leaned back on the sofa. They had dinner, Ricky was in bed and both women had some time to relax now.   
“I like it when you have a night off.”  
“So do I and that’s something completely new for me.”  
“You enjoy spending time with me, Sara Sidle.”  
“I know that, Sofia Curtis. It’s scary.”  
“Talking about scary. What do you think of an old-fashioned games night?”  
“Which one?”  
“I bought one a few days ago I always loved when I was a child.” Sofia got up and walked to the cabinet. With two bottles of beer and a game box she game back.  
“Clue? It’s like working.”  
“No, you can play detective, not investigator.”  
“I’m supposed to play a detective game against the best detective in the world? That’s a challenge and I like challenges.”  
“Good.” Sofia grinned. She opened the box and prepared the game while Sara opened the beer bottles and got some snacks for them. Sara took Mr. Mustard and Sofia played as Miss Scarlett.   
The first game was Sofia’s, Sara won the second.   
“This is it. The decision who will be the winner. I’ll get you, Curtis.”  
“I only let you win that you won’t cry. Sidle.”  
“In your dreams. I’ve already two of the three things. I’ll kick your ass.”  
“You’ll be so wrong with your guess, you’ll make me the winner by being so arrogant.”  
“Arrogant is your job, detective.”  
“Investigator, please.”  
“For me you’ll always be the detective. Come on, roll the dice and detect.”  
“Don’t get cheeky.” Sofia got a one and couldn’t enter a new room. “Damn it.”  
“Hah, you’re so done.” Sara didn’t have to roll her dice, she was right in front of a door and would come in the room anyway. “I say it was you, Miss Scarlett with the rope in the kitchen. Come on, tell me I’m right.” She took the three cards in the middle and her smile disappeared. For that a huge smile on Sofia’s face appeared.   
“I’ve got the rope.”  
“I asked for the rope before.”  
“Did you?”  
“Oh yes! You’re cheating!”  
“Me? Never”  
“Liar.” Sara jumped on Sofia and started to tickle her. Sofia had to fight back some loud screams. When her face was deep red Sara stopped.   
“You’re disqualified.”  
“You were wrong.”  
“You were lying.”  
“I won. I played you like a suspect.”  
“You lied.”  
“For one it’s a lie for the other another kind of truth.”  
“Bitch”  
“It’s winning bitch for you.”  
“I hope your son won’t play like his mother. I hope he’ll be an honest man.”  
“He’ll be perfect.”  
“Means he won’t be like his mother. Thanks god for that.”  
“You like his mother.”  
“Not anymore.”  
“Oh come on, I give you another chance.”  
“I won because you lied.”  
“Where’s your evidence, investigator?”  
“Where’s your honor?”  
“I don’t need that as a winner.”  
“You really disappointed me, Sofia.”  
“I’m sorry.” Sofia chuckled. “But I really liked your face when you saw the rope. What a pity I didn’t have a camera.”  
“You’ll get that back.”  
“I know.” Sofia got up. “Want another beer?”  
“Yeah. One more before you go to bed. Shall we play again? There’s no reason to get a new game out for these thirty minutes or so.”  
“We could play Ludo.”  
“Okay, I’ll get it.” Sara took the Clue box away and got Ludo out. She hadn’t played that in ages, it was good they had all these games in the house, soon they’d play that with Ricky. She wasn’t a fan of computer games for children, they should learn first the old-fashioned games. She intended to teach him how to play chess in two years.   
“What color?”  
“Blue.” Sofia gave Sara her beer and sat next to her.  
“Stay on your side.”  
“No reason to stay in the arm chair, there’s nothing you have to hide in this game…and I need to ask you something.”   
Because Sofia’s voice was very serious Sara stopped preparing for the game and got her full attention to the blonde.  
“What’s that?”  
“You don’t have to answer right away, you can sleep over it, take all your time. But I’d like you to consider my request. It’s about Ricky.”  
“Is he all right?” Immediately there was concern in Sara’s face. Was there a problem with the boy?   
“Yes, of course, he’s fine.”  
“Good.”   
“It’s…I don’t know how to say that…you know with Warrick being death…and well, nobody is really safe…I thought…the last few days…there was this thought…”  
“Sofia, cut through the chase and tell me right away what it is.”  
“I’d like you to be his legal guardian in case anything happens to me.”  
“What?”  
“You don’t have to make a decision yet and we can finish this topic now, all I ask for is, please think about it. He loves you and if anything ever happens to me, I want him with somebody who loves him, whom he loves. I don’t want him in foster care and my mom is too old to play with him. She’d do it but I’m sure he’d prefer to have you. He loves you, Sara, like a mother.”  
“I should be Ricky’s guard?”  
“Yes. If you want. But think about it. It’s nothing you have to decide now.”  
“Sofia, there’s no need to give me time. As you said, he loves me, I love him, of course I’ll do it. If you want me to be his guard, I’ll be it. But don’t you dare to let anything happen to you. We both need you. Understood?”  
“Understood.” Sofia hugged Sara and pulled her close to herself. That was something Sofia had thought of for a long time. If anything happened to her, she wanted Ricky to be safe, to be with somebody he loved. He loved his grandmother, no doubt, but there was nobody besides Sofia, Ricky was as close to as to Sara. She’d be perfect as his legal guardian.


End file.
